The reality was that I was the one secretly obsessed with him. Reign Caldwell had no clue. Tonight showed me I had to get my fascination with him under control. I had a great guy standing next to me who might be the one. I couldn’t mess this up over unrequited lust for Reign. I still wasn’t sure if Sam was the one for me, but he had come the closest. I owed us both my full attention to find out.
Sinner:
I was seated with Sawyer and Sharlena at Lustz. They were a brother and sister who had become a part of my friend circle through Carver and his wife, Alexandra, or Lexi, as we called her. Lexi had been in the grocery store when she needed to get away from someone bothering her. She went up to Sharlena, a stranger at that moment, and asked her to pretend they knew each other. Sharlena had done it, and they left the store and ended up going to a house that belonged to Sawyer. From there, they became friends and eventually members of Lustz.
We got here half an hour ago. They had been the ones to strong-arm me into dinner and then to come here. They said I’d been staying home too much. I knew they were right, so I agreed.
We’d gone to dinner first. I made an effort to be in the moment with them and was doing great until I noticed Anastasia Shah seated across the way. She was seated with a man, and they appeared to be getting along well.
I immediately scanned him. My gaze went to the man’s left hand first—no wedding band. A tiny easement in my tension bit, but it didn’t last.
He was a handsome man, sharing her ethnic background by the looks of him. He was around my age, as far as I could tell. They chatted, laughed, and even touched hands. I’d held myself back until they finished their entrees. That was when I broke down and said a hasty “Excuse me” to Sharlena and Sawyer, then went over to Anastasia and her date.
Nothing in that short conversation had settled me. After I returned to my seat to field questions, I couldn’t fully settle. Sawyer leaned forward, over the tabletop.
“Mind telling us who that is?”
I tried to present as nonchalant when I answered him.
“Sorry, that’s my chiropractor. I wanted to say hello.”
“The guy is your chiropractor? What’s his name? I’ve been feeling the need for an adjustment, and my old one retired.” Sawyer asked.
“She’smy chiropractor, not him. Her name is Anastasia Shah. I can give you her information,” I offered, though something inside of me was reluctant to do it.
“Please do. Who is the man? Her husband?” Sawyer asked. Sharlena sat there with her hand on my arm, listening to us.
“No, she didn’t introduce him as such. His name is Sam.” I answered.
“I bet he’s her boyfriend. They give off a comfortable vibe,” Sharlena stated.
My mouth tightened, though I kept my body from doing the same. Sawyer was studying me. I smiled.
“Maybe. Alright, what were we talking about when I left you? Sorry for that. It won’t happen again,” I said smoothly.
Sawyer’s watchfulness didn’t change, but he did change the topic. We’d gotten our food and were most of the way through it when Anastasia and her date passed by our table on their way out. They both nodded and gave slight smiles. I gave a chin lift. As their backs were presented to us, I noticed Sam’s hand was on her lower back. It shouted possession. It took everything in me not to go after them and tear his hand off her. Jesus Christ, I was losing it.
It had been even harder for me to get through the rest of dinner. When it was over, both of my friends suggested Lustz.I tried to say no, but they refused to hear it, so I gave in. The reason wasn’t them so much as the knowledge I needed to find someone. The lack of play and sex had clearly caused this unshakable fascination and desire for Anastasia. And if she were available, I’d pursue it. However, tonight proved she wasn’t. And I wasn’t a guy who tried to interfere in couples’ relationships, even if they weren’t married. Or was I? The question kept circulating in my head.
“There will be no playing tonight,” Sawyer told his sister gruffly.
Sharlena rolled her eyes. “As if. And the same goes for you, brother dear. If I can’t play, neither can you.”
They had an agreement never to be there at the same time if they intended to play. I understood. If I had a sister, I wouldn’t want to see her getting it on with someone. Hell, the thought of it being Rowan would turn me off.
Rowan, God, he was still trying to convince me that he should be made VP and be my successor. I explained to him again why that wasn’t happening, but he kept saying he knew I would change my mind. I didn’t know what else to do to prove to him I wasn’t kidding. The Littleton acquisition was slowly progressing.
I watched and checked whether Rowan had actually started to step up in his current position. Maybe he had heard that part of my explanation and taken it to heart. Wrong. He was doing the same shit he had always done.
While I could have terminated without cause, I wanted to make things airtight. I wasn’t his direct supervisor, so I spoke to her. I knew Carla had been dying to counsel Rowan and then issue him write-ups, but hadn’t because he was my brother. I apologized to her for it and made sure she knew she was clear to do so and that we would be working to finalize the termination. Her facial expression told me she was shocked, but she did itanyway. So far, he’d had a verbal warning. The written one was due any day.
Fuck, if it wasn’t Anastasia, it was my brother. I needed to forget them and relax. I refocused on the conversation happening around me.
“He’s back,” Sawyer said dryly.
“Sorry, man, it won’t happen again. I’ve got things on my mind that I can’t seem to shake. What did I miss?” I asked, leaning toward them. They were seated across from me.
“Maybe if you talked about what’s bothering you, other than your brother, it would help. You already told us how he’s been acting. I don’t blame you a bit for what you’re doing with him. But clearly, he’s not the only thing, or even the main one, occupying your mind,” Sawyer added.
